Everyone knows that flossing is the best way to keep your gums and teeth healthy, yet many people struggle to make it a habit. If you're trying to floss regularly, it's best to make that habit happen at night, rather than in the morning when you get up. If you're only flossing once a day, here's why you should do it during the evening hours.

No More Meals

One of the biggest reasons why you should floss at night before bed rather than when you get up is the timing of your meals.

If you floss when you get up, you'll probably eat soon. If you brush and floss before breakfast, it won't be very soon, but even lunchtime probably isn't far off from when you perform your daily hygiene care. The reason this is a problem is that when you floss, you open up the space between your teeth. Eating soon will simply fill that space up again with food debris.

Food provides the fuel that bacteria need to cause gum disease and plaque development. Therefore, you should avoid eating for as long as you can after flossing. Nighttime is perfect for this, as you'll go to bed after flossing and spend many hours asleep before a meal comes into the picture.

Easier to Commit

Flossing in the morning requires a time commitment, and most people will be in a rush at least once during their morning routine. It's easy to scrap flossing and to think that you'll get back into the habit later, but skipping even one day while developing a new habit can derail the entire process.

It's a better idea to floss in the evening when the only thing left to do is to clean your teeth and go to sleep. You'll be less likely to skip it, and you'll reinforce the habit every time you do it.

Protecting Your Overall Health

Believe it or not, the same bacteria responsible for your gum disease can potentially be inhaled into the lungs. Once there, it can potentially trigger a respiratory infection.

Getting rid of as much plaque as possible before sleeping is ideal to prevent this. If you don't breathe in through your mouth during your waking hours, it will be much more difficult to inhale the bacteria. However, most people inhale through their mouth at least occasionally while asleep, so you're at more risk during the night.

If you're going to start a flossing habit, make it a nighttime one to maximize your benefits and to ensure that your health is protected. Consult a dentist such as William U Britton DDS MAGD for more information.